Magick Moon
by Relatively Unknown
Summary: Meet Jeriko. He's a witch. And he's a mutant. ::Chapt. 11:: Just whose side is Kiro on? ::Chapt. 12:: The End is here....
1. Prologue

A/N: I am sooooo original, ain't I? Well, sorta. Ack, I can't tell you why, just read the sucker will ya? R/R! Flames are fine. ::puts on flame-retardant suit:: Bring it on!  
  
  
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Perhaps the first and foremost thing I should tell you is that I am a mutant. My name is of little importance now; you will learn of it later. And perhaps the second thing I should tell you is that I am also a blood witch. Now how it is that I am both I do not know. All I know is that I am, and that I have a potential to be either very great or very dangerous. Or, possibly, both.   
  
  
I wish for you to know that none of this talk of potential goes to my head. We all have that potential, whether mutant or not, whether witch or not. I ignore most talk about me. Good or bad. Maybe it is best that I give you some background information on me, so you are not as confused as you most likely are.  
  
  
I was born on Halloween, or Samhain as it is called among witches. It was during a full moon. That is why my first and middle name refer to the moon. They are not considered common among witches, but were greatly acceptable. My mother was the leader of our coven. My father was her second-in-command, so if say she was sick and could not lead our circle, my father would take over. Their names hold no meaning to you, so I will refrain from telling you.  
  
  
I have many "powers" as a blood witch, such as my senses. I can cast them out and pick up on people or magick, good or bad. There are many little things that most witches can do, and will not waste time reciting them all. Now my mutant "powers" you are presumably interested in. I can fade into the shadows, literally becoming a shadow, or transport myself. I just fade out in one place and fade in in another. How I do it I do not know. I can tell you that it was named "shimmering" by my mother. She watched a show called "Charmed", and one of the characters, Cole I think his name was, did what I did. The biggest difference between him and me was that he was a demon. I in no form am.  
  
  
By this time you are trying to picture me in your mind. I will make it easier for you. I am 5'10" in height and close to 150lbs in weight; I have jet black hair and pale eyes that could be called silver; I am also fair-skinned, for I came from close to the Northern land*. I always wear a silver necklace with a half-moon charm on it. It was a gift from the coven when I joined officially, a few years ago. It is now time to you my name.  
  
  
I am Jeriko Yue Athayn.  
  
  
(A/N: *Jeriko is from Ireland, close to Northern Ireland.) 


	2. Arrival

A/N: Okay, I know I should've waited for some reviews, but I don't have any PATIENCE. This idea is making my head hurt and I have to type it before I go insane! Wait. I think I already might be......... ::wanders off arguing with herself::  
  
A/N2: Uh, the * asterisks mean he's talkin' in Gaelic.   
  
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I arrived at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Children in mid-winter. I was used to cold, so the winter winds and freezing temperatures did not bother me. It did, however, seem to bother the others. By "others", I mean the ones who were already at the Institute. When I walked in the front door I was hit with a wall of heat. I took and involuntary step back out into the snow, before approaching the door again, this time prepared.   
  
  
A boy named Scott had picked me up at the train station, and had attempted to involve me in conversation. I must admit my English at the time was only so-so, and I could understand some of the things he was saying. I tried my best to keep up. I believe he had sensed my predicament and slowed down, apologizing all the time. I waved it off, knowing it was honest mistake.   
  
  
The Institute was a large mansion. I was overwhelmed when I first saw it. There was nothing quite like it at home. I was used to small country villages and medium sized towns. The closest building I could think of that was nearest in size to this was the old Court House, built a few hundred years ago. Its old stone steps were worn and weathered from the elements, and the steps of hundreds of criminals. The mansion, on the other hand, was rather new-looking and elegant.   
  
  
If I perceived the outside as beautiful, then I was stunned by the inside. It's style and grace was amazing. *I have never seen such wonder!* I said, glancing around the main hall. The Professor, who I had met in Ireland, smiled. He knew Gaelic well, all versions of it. He had told me so.  
  
  
"I thank you graciousness, Jeriko." He said, in English. I understood 'thank you', so I got his meaning. "Should I continue in English, or should I refer Gaelic?" He said it slowly, so I could understand.   
  
  
"English. I need to... uh....." I searched for the right word.   
  
  
"Improve?" A girl suggested. I nodded.   
  
  
"Eadh, yes, improve me English." I said. I knew I probably sounded like a fool, or a little child, but I shrugged the embarrassment off. "Where be me room?"   
  
  
"Where is your room." The Professor corrected. I repeated it and he answered. "It is upstairs, Jean will show you."  
  
  
The girl who had spoken earlier smiled and motioned me to follow. I picked up my two suitcases and followed her up the wide staircase. There was a long hall, going off in two directions, one on my right and one on my left. I followed her down the left one to a room. She opened the door for me and allowed me to enter first. I glanced around at the large bedroom, before finally setting my suitcases on the bed. I glanced around again, looking for some place to set up my altar.   
  
  
"Dinner is at six." Jean pointed to the six on her watch, to help me understand. "If you need anything, ask any of us." She left and I began to unpack.  
  
  
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I finished well before six, around four-thirty. I decided to explore. I wasn't tired for I had napped first on the plane to New York City and then on the train to here. I showered and changed my clothes; the train had been rather on the hot side, and I had sweated as I napped.   
  
  
I first walked up and down both halls, then went downstairs. I explored the west, or left, side of the mansion first. There I found a living room, a kitchen, and a dining room. On the right side, as I was looking at the decor, I ran into someone. He was a short man with snarl on his face.   
  
  
"What where yer goin' kid." He growled. I muttered an apology, and he nodded. "Yer da new kid, right? Didn't catch yer name."  
  
  
"Jeriko Yue Athayn of Etinaridh." I told him. (A/N: I made Etinaridh. I don't think it's even word.)  
  
  
"Yer first name would do." His English was very hard to understand.   
  
  
"Jeriko." I told him, after figuring out what he meant.  
  
  
"Jeriko." He repeated. "My name's Logan, and I'll be one yer teachers here. That is, when I'm around. Whatcha lookin' fer?"   
  
  
"I no understand." I said. He growled softly, but not in threating way.  
  
  
"What are you looking for?" He pronounced each word slowly. I nodded, this time understand.  
  
  
"Professor?" I asked.  
  
  
"He ain't here right now. Out on business. Stormy's here though. Go down two doors and make a right." I must've looked very confused, for he sighed and muttered 'Follow me.' He showed me to a library, where the woman who had accompanied the Professor was. Logan left in a few muttered growls, leaving me there.   
  
  
"Oh, hello Jeriko." Storm said, seeing me. "I see you have met Logan."   
  
  
"Yes." For better or for worse, I wondered.  
  
  
"He is bad tempered, so perhaps you should stay away from him." I understood 'bad' and 'stay away', so I knew that I now was going to avoid him if I could help it. "Also, I am going to teach you English."  
  
  
"Teach me English. Good." I said. The sooner I learned it the better.   
  
  
*I know a pretty good amount of Gaelic, so why don't you tell me about yourself?* She told me, in Gaelic of course. She was a little rough on the softer sounds, but no worse than some of the others my age back home. We sat down in two opposite facing chairs, and I began to tell her of Ireland.  
  
  
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It was that night I awoke in hurry. I felt something magickal. I opened my window to the cold night air and cast out my senses, searching for whatever it was. I felt it again, briefly, but it disappeared before I could locate it. I looked up at the sky and saw a sliver of the waxing moon. I felt immediately comforted, and closed the window. But I could not sleep for the rest of the night. 


	3. Decision

A/N: More reviews, I beg of you! ::gets down on knees and begs:: Plz? I ain't that bad am I? ::pouts:: Waaah! ::stands up, dusts self off:: Okay, I'm better now. On with the story!  
  
  
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For the next few weeks, I went to school, learned English, practiced my "powers", both mutant and witch. The others told me about the other group of mutants, the Brotherhood, and how I should ignore them. I didn't understand why. It wasn't that I didn't understand the words, I didn't understand the reasons. They seemed to be underprivileged and forgotten. In my coven, my family, I had been taught to help people like this, not ignore them. They also seemed to have been misled by two people called Mystique and Magneto, who were both MIA at the moment. I asked the Professor about this, and he seemed to be worn out by the subject. Nevertheless, he explained.  
  
  
"Jeriko, I have many times offered help and a home to them, but they refuse. Probably for many reasons. They had held faith in Magneto, and Mystique, and that faith was broken. They had been taught to hate us by those two, so that now, with them missing, they feel like they are on their own." He told me.  
  
  
"But why? They are not on own. Why they be so.....bolvaneagh?" I asked. ("foolish")  
  
  
"It may seem like that to us, but to them.... I don't know. Pride is a very powerful thing." He said quietly. I took this as my cue to leave.   
  
  
I went to my room, and tried to start on my homework. But my mind was elsewhere. I looked out through my window at the night sky. The moon was waning now. It matched the charm on my necklace. It made me think of home, and home made me think of how we took care of others. I made my decision that I would help those in the Brotherhood, despite what the others said. I held the charm as I decided this. Then I went back to my homework. A few hours later I was asleep in bed.  
  
  
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I first had my chance to help one of them the next day in front of the school. The smallest one -- a boy named Todd, better known as Toad -- was getting picked on by some of the jocks. I watched in disgust as people just walked on by, ignoring this boy getting the daylights knocked out of him. Even some of the others just glanced at it and walked away. I finally could not stand it any longer. I walked up to the one doing most of the damage and stood in front of him.   
  
  
"Do ye mind?" I asked him. With my boots on I was close to six feet, and slightly taller than him. He had short choppy blonde hair and dull blue eyes that told me he was dumb as rock.  
  
  
"And you the hell are you?" He gave me a look that said 'how dare you?'.  
  
  
"Me name don't matter to ye. And I am telling ye to leave the boy alone." My English had improved greatly, with myself looking up knew words every chance I had. But I had a feeling that this jock still didn't understand me.  
  
  
"What's the Toad mean to you? Or should I say 'to ye'?" He said, mocking me.  
  
  
"I watch what I be saying if I be ye. And what I be doing. What comes around go around, and always be coming back threefold." I said, almost whispering. I stared at him with my unnatural silver eyes. As I expected he took a step back then sort of shuffled off. Two of his friends, who had been with him, left as well. I watched them leave, then turned back to they boy, Todd, but he was not there.  
  
  
He most likely had run as soon as he had the chance. I didn't blame him; I would've done the same. Still, I wanted to make sure he was alright. I walked over to the parking lot, where I figured someone would be picking him up, since the buses had already left. I found him sitting in a jeep surrounded by the other three members, obviously telling them about what had just occurred. I walked over, stopping a short ways off.  
  
  
"Hey, that's him, yo!" Todd said, seeing me. He was holding the back of his head with one hand, and pointing at me with the other. The dark-haired one came over and stood in front of me. He had a sort of confused look in his face.  
  
  
"I guess I should thank you for saving him." He said. I knew what was coming next. "Why did you? You don't know him."  
  
  
"That do not matter. Where I come from, I be taught to care for others, specially those in need. And not to care who they are. No one be treated like that." I told him, my broken English a little hard for him to understand with my accent.  
  
  
"You're the new X-Freak. Jeriko, right?" I nodded. "Well Jeriko, stay like that. Don't let them change you." He backed up and finally turned to the jeep. A boy with white hair gave me a strange look before climbing in, followed by a large boy with a mohawk. As they were pulling away, I saw the young boy, Todd, glance back. I gave a small wave, then turned away myself and headed to Scott's car to go home.  
  
  
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I felt that magickal presence again that night. I cast out my senses in vain, for it disappeared the moment I did so. It wasn't quite dark, around twilight, when I felt it. We getting ready to have dinner when I felt it. It was much earlier than the last so many weeks ago. And something else I noticed. It was stronger, and closer. 


	4. Trouble

A/N: Sorry it took a while. The previous chapter I had wrote before Christmas, which I forgot to upload. ::curses:: Oh well. Here's #4, and plz oh plz more reviews! Flames are fine! ::gets on knees and puts on puppy dog face:: Plz?! Oh, and the time line's kinda funky, so I'll try to do my best to keep it straight for ya.  
  
  
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When I had felt that last presence, I was tempted to tell the others. Or at least the Professor. But I decided not to, for reasons I couldn't explain. I silently wondered if this had anything to do with Magneto and/or Mystique. I knew little of them, so I didn't know if they were among the magickal or not. I felt somewhat foolish asking, and if I did so, I would have to tell the others about my sensing something, which would be even more foolish.  
  
  
You perhaps are wondering about my decision to help the Brotherhood. I made that decision two weeks ago, and it still stands. I have helped them, even being a witness to a fight which the jocks started with Lance. (I learned his name afterwards.) The principal tried to blame him, but I was a witness and refused to let him do so. The jocks got off, of course, but so did Lance.  
  
  
He asked me why I came to his defense. What was my deal anyhow? I told him that they hadn't changed me, and that they weren't going to. He told me I was different. From the others. I actually cared. He invited me to sit with him and the others for lunch. I agreed. I met them all, including a girl I hadn't noticed before. There was Fred, Pietro (I had fun trying to pronounce his name!), Todd, Lance, and Tabitha or Tabby.   
  
  
That was yesterday. Scott had a fit, obviously. I told him that I wasn't going to judge them before I knew them. Besides, who was I to judge someone anyhow? I had no right to. Scott was enraged and brought me up before the Professor, who to my surprise took my side. Scott, needless to say, hasn't spoken to me since.  
  
  
The others didn't say much about my being there, not against nor with me. I think they're confused, and I don't blame them. I certainly would be. I was thinking about this as I walked down the hall to my room. I passed Kitty's, and heard a frustrated scream. I knocked lightly on the door.  
  
  
"Come in!" I heard her shout. I opened the door and saw her standing at her mirror, messing with her hair.  
  
  
"Kitty, what be wrong?" I asked softly.  
  
  
"I'm trying to braid my hair and I can't get it and Jean's not here to do it!" She complained. I sighed and went over to her bed and sat down.  
  
  
"Come here." I patted the area of bed in front of me. "I do braid."  
  
  
"You know how to braid?" She said in disbelief. I smiled, and patted the bed again. She shrugged and walked over and sat down in front of me, handing a ponytail holder and a hairbrush to me.  
  
  
"French?" I asked.   
  
  
"If you can do it." She said.   
  
  
I brushed her hair, and set to work. I had done this so many times, that it was automatic. I had always braided my sister's hair, since my mathair, my mother, wasn't there to do it in the morning. She would be away, readying things for the week's coven meetings. My sister, Alek, would often brag to her friends that I was the best braider in all of Ireland. And I was boy too!  
  
  
"There, all done." I said. Kitty got up and went over to her mirror to examine my work.  
  
  
"Wow, you're better than Jean. Did you get practice with your own hair?" She asked, nodding towards my black mop of long hair. I liked it long. It was below my shoulders, and had been for a long time. I usually kept it in a loose ponytail with a small clasp I had gotten for my birthday, from who else but my sister.  
  
  
"No, I braided me sister's hair." I told her. "She say I best in all of Ireland."  
  
  
"Well, I'd say that's a good claim." She said, looking back in the mirror. Kitty paused, then looked back at me.  
  
  
"Why are you helping the Brotherhood? They're no good." She said, coming back to the bed and sitting down, this time facing me.  
  
  
"I no judge them. Why ye? What they do to ye?" I countered.  
  
  
"Lance betrayed me. We went to the same school. When I found out I was a mutant, he said he'd be my friend. He showed me how to get a hold on my powers and use them. All he really wanted, though, was for me to sneak into the school and steal test answers." She said bitterly.  
  
  
"Are ye sure? He help when no one other did. He made mistake. Ye judge him by aon, one, mistake? Sound like ye be no friend." Kitty started to say something then stopped and looked at the floor. "They be like ye, and Scott, and Jean, and the others. They be like me. But they no have money, or mansion, or Professor."  
  
  
"Then why don't they come to us?" Kitty said sharply. "You see Jeriko, they're stupid fools."  
  
  
"Are they?!" I told her, equally if not more sharply. "They mutant too! They human like ye! What more do ye need? They more like ye than ye know. Ye both got pride. Except their pride be closer to true pride! Your pride be bouyranagh!" ("stupid/senseless")  
  
  
With that I shimmered away from there. I went to the roof. Ignoring the cold I laid there in spot barren of snow, looking at the sky. I looked to the moon, which was half hidden. I cast out my senses, just to see what was here. Nothing. ~Goddess, help me!~ I begged the moon. ~I cannot do this alone.~ There was no answer. The night was as silent as the stars it held. 


	5. More Trouble

A/N: Wow, reviews. I woke up this morning and decided I was gonna take this story down, but after reading the reviews I decided not 2. Oh, & Becs, my email's currently on the fritz thanx 2 my computer (loooooong story), so I'll have 2 tell u here. I use a online Gaelic dictionary, cuz there aint no way I know Gaelic myself. (I dont even know how 2 pronounce the words I use!)   
  
  
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Kitty, later on that night, came to my room and apologized. She said that I was right not to judge them. That they were like us and the others, just not as well off. She also said that she felt so betrayed by Lance. And that wasn't all. When he had brought down the school, he had injured some kids, and acted like he felt no remorse for it. That made her even madder.   
  
  
I told her that, it appeared to me, Lance had trouble showing his feelings. Perhaps he did feel remorse, but if so, what would the others think? Would they think he was weak? Not deserving to be their "leader"? She had asked me how I knew this so well, like I was actually him. I told her about my senses, and how I casted them out and picked on feelings, emotions, and magick. I made sure to keep her in the dark about the magick I had been sensing lately.   
  
  
After a little chit-chat about it, she left, and not a moment too soon. For no sooner had she phased through the door then I picked up on the same magick presence I had been feeling. I cast out my sense immediately, but unlike before, I was careful. Wiccas can sense each other's senses when they are cast out, unless one is very careful and used stealth.  
  
  
The presence stayed, and did not vanish as it had before. It was to the north of the mansion, away from Bayville. It was strong, but not close as I had thought earlier. But for something to be strong, one must have much power. Power like that could be helpful or very, very deadly. I prayed to the God and Goddess that it was not the latter. Suddenly the presence slipped away. But before it did so, I got a strange feeling. A feeling..... of familiarity.  
  
  
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I decided then that it was time to scry. I was never a master of scrying, but I was rather good for my age. I almost always used water, although sometimes reliable, it worked best for me. My mother had used fire, which was rare in any coven, Irish or not. I had never tried fire, for it wasn't like me. I was the moon, the darkness, the night, the water. That is why my coven name was Gealach. ("moon")  
  
  
I didn't have time to do it then, regretfully, for there was school tomorrow and it was getting late. While I had cast out my senses and was trying to get all I could from the presence, time had passed. It was now almost midnight. When Kitty had left it was only nine-thirty. Time, in the Wiccan world, was very irregular. A minute could be a day and a day could be a minute, as my father used to say. How true, indeed.  
  
  
I went to bed, got up on time, went to school, ate lunch once again with Brotherhood, was ignored by Scott, and I shimmered home as fast as I could. When I had gotten up I had debated whether or not I should fake sickness, but I knew there was no way I could fool the Professor. He would ask questions, questions that needed not be answered just yet.  
  
  
I locked myself in my room with a bowl of water. I silently wished for my small cauldron, but I had to leave that at home for my suitcases were already over-flowing and I couldn't fit it in. I had been meaning to search for a Wiccan store and buy one, but somehow had never gotten around to it. I lit some incense, not usually done in my coven but effective for me, set the bowl of water on the floor, and sat down beside it. I cleared my head, with help from the incense, and began to concentrate.  
  
  
Slowly, the world seemed to fade. Worries and troubles vanished from my mind. Everything was calm and clear. I let the images come. They were blurry, shadowed, and worst of all, irrelevant. I tried to concentrate on the presence, its feeling, its magick, but still nothing. I tried again, for three was powerful number, but alas, still nothing. I let myself come back to the world and cleaned up. Two hours had passed, and dinner would be ready in a half-hour. The presence must be protecting itself from being seen, but not being felt. Why? Why one and not the other? And what was it doing here? But most of all, who or what was it?   
  
  
These questions plagued me all through dinner. I was beginning to think that it was time to tell the Professor, when he called us all to his office. He said he had some bad news. I felt trouble brewing, and I did not need my senses for that.  
  
  
"I have just gotten a mutant signature about a hundred miles from here. When I scanned it into the database, it found a match. It appears that Mystique is back, for reasons not yet made known." He said.  
  
  
"Baoghal?" I asked. ("danger")  
  
  
"Perhaps. So far I have not detected Magneto, or anything connected with him, other than Mystique herself. She is currently staying in area near the town of Willington, and has made no move in this direction. But I want all of you alert. Best that you get to bed now. You are going to need all the rest you can get." He dismissed all of the others, but held me back.  
  
  
"It be about Brotherhood, right?" I guessed. He nodded.  
  
  
"Yes. I wish for you to refrain from telling them, at least for now. They may already know, and if so it would be for the better if we don't let on that we know." He said.  
  
  
"True. May I.... test them?" I asked slowly, not for effect, but for the fact I didn't know if I was using the right word or not.  
  
  
"Test. Perhaps. Yes, if you be careful. And use your senses to see if you can pick any emotion whatsoever that could determine their standing either way." Right word obviously. I needed a plan to trick them into it. "A word of warning Jeriko, before you go: don't be too curious. Unspoken questions can be the key between information and revealment."  
  
  
"Accepted." I said. I left and went upstairs. My mind was now plagued with more worries and yes, more questions. Neither of which I spoke aloud to anyone, although I'm sure the Professor was aware of them. Most of all, I wondered if this news was in any way connected to the presence I had felt. If so, the power combined between it, Mystique, and Magneto if he showed, would be a force never known before. 


	6. Some Hope

A/N: Sorry. Computer crashed. Luckily I save all my stories to disks. Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm paranoid. Ah well. I'm not quite sure where this is going, if anywhere. I got another story idea, and it's driving me INSANE. Oh well. Not ya'll's problem. On with the show! Oh, and remember, the * asterisks mean he's talkin' in Gaelic.  
  
  
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I was impatient all day. I couldn't wait for lunch. Finally, it came. I never bought lunch, for a few reasons. 1) I'm not hungry and 2) I wouldn't eat school food if my life depended on it. I went straight to the table where they usually sat. I was joined almost immediately by Pietro.  
  
  
"Hey, Jer, wazzup?" He said. He insisted on calling me Jer for whatever reason he had. It didn't bother me too much.  
  
  
"Nothing. I do got question." I said. "Wait for others?"  
  
  
"Well, Fred's gonna be a while. Chili today. Todd ain't here, he's sick. Tabby stayed home to torture him and I don't where Lance is. Correction." He said, as we saw the afore mentioned leader coming our way. He sat down next me, muttering to himself.  
  
  
"What be wrong?" I asked. He just waved it off.  
  
  
"Meow." Pietro said. Lance glared at him. I was confused, then I think it clicked. Kitty. Hmm....   
  
  
"So, what was your question?" Pietro asked, grinning his mischievous grin at Lance.  
  
  
"The Professor told me about...." I grew quieter and leaned in. "Magneto and Mystique."  
  
  
My senses were alert, ready to pick up any sign of nervousness or other revealing emotions. Nothing. Lance snorted and shook his head. Pietro rolled his eyes. They were about to say something, when Fred came bounding over, his tray overflowing. I saw the others, the X-Men that is, glare at Lance, because the ground was shaking. He noticed them and pointed to Fred. They just went back to whatever they were doing.  
  
  
"Didja get enough?" Pietro asked Fred.   
  
  
"Nah, they wouldn't let me take no more." He said, pouting. I am currently reserving comment on that matter.  
  
  
"I wonder why." Lance muttered. "So what do you want to know about Her Highness, Queen of Bitchiness and King Psycho?"  
  
  
"Hey! Magneto's family! I'm the only one that gets to call him that!" Pietro complained. I was confused, yet again, but I refrained from asking, remembering what the Professor said.  
  
  
"Nothing in... uh..... Curious. No more." I said.   
  
  
"Well, their nicknames should give you a hint." Pietro said.   
  
  
"Eadh, yes, that they do. You no like them?" I asked. I knew I should shut up soon.   
  
  
"Gee, whatever you that idea?" Lance said. "They're gone, and hopefully will stay that way. Good riddance."   
  
  
I nodded, and dropped the subject. I had what I needed. They knew nothing, and possibly, were changing sides, even though they didn't know it.  
  
  
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Once again, I shimmered home, so I could report to the Professor without interruption. I knew that for doing so, Kurt no doubt would complain. Today would have to be the last day, or the matter would go further, and I was in no mood for it.  
  
  
"Professor?" I asked Logan. He was getting used to my broken English, and wasn't all that bad.  
  
  
"He's in his office." He said, not looking up from his motorcycle, which was in the garage where I found him. I went to his office, and didn't even have to knock.  
  
  
~You may come in, Jeriko.~ The Professor said, mentally. I walked in and sat down, across from him. "Well?"  
  
  
*They know nothing. My senses were alert for any indication, and there was none.* It would be easier to speak in Gaelic, to get my point across faster. *Also, they way they acted, it appears that they want nothing to do with either of them. Mind you, I only talked to Pietro and Lance. Todd and Tabby weren't in school, and Fred was.... busy.*  
  
  
*Which means you believe that they might come to our side.* I nodded. He paused a moment, before continuing. *It is possible. But I do doubt they will join us.*  
  
  
*Who said anything about joining? They can still be the Brotherhood. Instead of being us, they can be our allies. This is a war, no?*  
  
  
*Yes, unfortunately, it is. I war that I wish had never happened. But it did.* He sighed, wearily.  
  
  
*Speaking of which, where is our enemy? Have you found Magneto's signature?* He shook his head.  
  
  
*No, not as of yet. But what worries me is that Mystique's has vanished. It is no longer there, nor anywhere in the area.*  
  
  
*I can see why you would be worried. But don't overreact. It could be nothing.*  
  
  
*And yet.... And yet it could be everything.*  
  
  
The Professor was right. I bid him my leave, and went to my room. I cast out my senses, but no presence. I don't know if I was worried or relieved. Worried mostly. It had felt so familiar before, and that bothered me. If it was someone I knew why did they hide? What was the reason? And did I want to know? 


	7. News

A/N: Hmm... conspiracy theory. (not a bad TV movie. of course, it's got Mel Gibson in it.... ::drools:: uh heh heh, n/m) Jeriko ain't corrupted. @ least I hope not. Nah, he ain't. (Remember, he didn't tell the Prof about the presence!) I'll admit it..... XAVIER NEEDS TO DIE!!!!!!! Which is kinda like a given. But he's better than the dude from the old cartoon. That guy was weird... anyhoo, onwards! (and hopefully upwards!)  
  
  
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The next day was Saturday. I woke early, from sheer force of habit. I never needed much sleep, only a few hours. At home, I would often stay up all night then when dawn came around 5 o'clock or so, I would sleep until around 8 or 9, then get up. My mother always scolded me for doing so, but never did anything to change it. My father did it himself sometimes, but that was becoming rarer with age.   
  
  
It was becoming warmer now, spring coming fast on the heels of winter. The snow had all melted the night before, and hadn't even turned to ice, for it was to warm to do so. Which meant that before everyone else, I was on my balcony, staring out at the water. It was still cold of course -- but like I had mentioned a while ago, I was used to cold weather. I lived in Ireland, remember? Many a chilly, windy day.   
  
  
As I stood there, watching the sun rise over the lake, I wondered about what was coming. Something dangerous was not far off, but just how long I did not know. But it was coming. I could feel deep inside of me. I also knew that the presence was somehow connected with the appearance of Mystique, as well as her disappearance. How, though, and why where my greatest questions.  
  
  
When the sun had fully rose, I went downstairs to the kitchen. To my surprise, Logan was there. I had never seen him get up this early before. But there he was, sitting at the bay window, drinking coffee and reading the paper. I didn't even know the paper came this early. He seemed equally surprised to see me.  
  
  
"Whatcha doin' up so early? On a Saturday?" He asked, folding the paper up.  
  
  
"I could ask ye the same question." I said. "I be always getting up early. Don't sleep a lot."   
  
  
"Ya sure ain't American. We like to sleep in." He got up and went over to the coffee maker, filling his cup up again. I sat down at the table.  
  
  
"Ye didna answer me question."  
  
  
"Huh? Oh. I'm takin' off for a while." He said. "Don't want no trouble, so I leave early." He explained. He finished fixing his coffee and sat down across from me at the table.   
  
  
"It best be that ye didna." I told him.   
  
  
"Why? That sighting of Mystique got ya shook up? Don't worry none 'bout her. She ain't hard to defeat if ya watch yer back and keep yer eyes open."  
  
  
"I no fear her. It be he I fear." I figured I didn't need to elaborate on who 'he' was.  
  
  
"Don't blame ya, I guess. Ya'll were fine before, ya'll gonna be fine now." I said nothing more. I wished to mention Sabretooth, but said nothing. (The Brotherhood had told me about him.)  
  
  
"Where ye be going?" I asked instead.   
  
  
"Don't know. Find out when I get there." He finished his coffee in one gulp, and stood to leave.  
  
  
"Mr. Logan? Be careful." We may need you I added silently. He nodded, and was about halfway through the door when he stopped.  
  
  
"Jeriko? Just Logan. None of this Mister crap." I smiled, and nodded slightly. He left. As soon as he did my smile faltered and faded away. If there would be a war, we would need him. I just hoped he didn't go too far.  
  
  
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My worries were making my head hurt. So, to keep my mind off of it, I figured I would make everyone an Irish breakfast. A large one, not the small average ones that were used weekly. At home, we would all eat a grand breakfast on Sundays. It was carry over from the Catholics that lived around us. Sundays were holy days to them. My mother loved to cook, so she declared it our lucky day and fixed us a special breakfast. Me, my sister, and my father didn't mind. She was a fabulous cook.  
  
  
I must brag, I wasn't half bad myself. For three hours, starting at 6 AM, I cooked. And cooked. I thought I was going to wake everyone up, but to my second surprise of the day, no sooner had I finished putting everything on the table and setting all the silverware out, than everyone came down and marveled at what I had done. Kurt was especially delighted.  
  
  
"Vas is das?!" He said as he walked in. I had learned from the others that it meant 'What is that?'.   
  
  
"Irish breakfast." I said proudly. "Come, sit ye self down."  
  
  
20 minutes later, everyone, including the Professor and Storm were gathered around. I joined them, and told them what everything was. To name a few: Irish bacon, soda bread, scones, and for a little sweetness, potato cakes. (A/N: Those cakes are GOOD!!) We all ate heartily, myself accepting compliments every few minutes. My worries were almost gone. Almost. And it didn't last.  
  
  
I cast out my senses, and I'm still not sure why. I had no reason to, but I did. And I felt the presence. So familiar. I felt two others. One was very close, and the other was distant, like the presence. I froze as I recognized the close one. I had never met her, but I knew by what I picked up on who she was. Mystique. Before I knew what I was doing, I shimmered to the front door, and threw it open. There stood a woman, huddled inside a cloak. Her arm was raised in the manner of getting ready to knock. I had interrupted that manner. It fell to her side.   
  
  
"Why ye here?" I asked. By this time, the others had arrived behind me.   
  
  
"Who is that?" I heard Evan ask.   
  
  
"Please, let me in." An exhausted voice begged. She faced the ground, not looking up. I glanced back at the Professor. He nodded, and moved aside.  
  
  
"Who are you?" Scott demanded.   
  
  
"Please, I come not to fight. But to help." Mystique threw back the cloak's hood and revealed herself. Red hair, blue skin: I wasn't quite prepared for it. But I showed no emotion.  
  
  
"Oh? How so?" The Professor asked.   
  
  
"He be coming." I said quietly. Mystique seemed shocked.   
  
  
"How did you get here?" She asked me, her white eyes wide. I tilted my head in confusion.  
  
  
"I always be here." I said.  
  
  
"What? No, no, you were just.... I thought you were.... Just who are you?" The others looked even more perplexed than I did.   
  
  
"Jeriko Yue Athayn, of the coven of Star of the Dawn of Etinaridh, Ireland." I gave her my full title. "You may also call me Gealach."  
  
  
"But how....? And how did you change.....? You're not him. No, you're not. But you look exactly like him."  
  
  
"Like who, Mystique?" Storm asked.   
  
  
"He said his name was Kiro Etu Rowen. But he calls himself Grian. You look exactly like him except.... Except his hair blonde and his eyes a dark blue. He's Magneto's right hand man. His knowledge in magick is deep, and he is helping Magneto with his purpose of war." She seemed to remember why she was here. "They are coming, and fast. They are not alone. Magneto has many followers. He's taking 15 of his greater warriors, and launching attack upon this place tonight. I suggest you get ready, for this is no child's play. He has trained these warriors hard and great. I know quite a few that could hold their own, even against Wolverine."  
  
  
The knews was more than I had expected. And the mention of Kiro. That is why it was so familiar. Perhaps I should have mentioned this earlier: I was adopted. I did not travel far, for my "mother" was my real mother's cousin, and they both lived in Etinaridh. I had long suspected I had a twin. Why, I don't know, but I was always absolutely sure of it. Now, it seems, I have been proven true.   
  
  
"Why did you warn us? How do I know this isn't a trap?" The Professor asked. The others nodded in agreement.   
  
  
"I have my reasons, and my own revenge on Magneto. Please, you must accept this and believe me. He believes I am on his side. He sent me here to scout the mansion and wait for his attack. As you can see, I am not. Disobeying him is very dangerous, and very deadly. I am risking my life for you." She said. The others looked very doubtful of her.  
  
  
"I believe her." I said. "If no one else, so be it. But I believe her."  
  
  
"I trust you Jeriko. So therefore I will trust your opinion." The Professor told me. I only hoped I was right.  
  
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A/N: Um, I need a good codename for Jeriko. Gealoch ain't gonna work. I was gonna use Moonshine, but ya'll can see that double meaning. Ugh. If I can't find one I like, I'm gonna sink down to using Strider (the Ranger dude from Lord Of The Rings). Sooooo.... HELP!! 


	8. The Countdown Begins

A/N: Sorry this took a while. I wasn't sure where I was going with this. Oh I had an ending or two, but I just didn't how I was gonna get there. But I sorta do now. But plz be patient if I disappear and write songfics for a while. They kickstart my imagination so I can think of something to write. Okies? Good. Now, Stand Friend, and Enter! (Sorry, I just saw Lord Of The Rings.)  
  
  
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Mystique left, to resume her "role" as Magneto's scout. The others stood there for a while, then finally filed upstairs to get ready for the coming battle. I had secretly been working on a costume of my own, for although the standard ones issued by the Professor were alright, they were not me. And so I made my own. I shimmered to my room to put it on.  
  
  
It was a relatively simple outfit. It was black, of course, but had no X insignia or anything yellow. The head piece fit over me perfectly, leaving only three openings-- one for each eye, and one on the top that let my hair fall around me. I would not wear it back in a ponytail as I usually did. There were two silver slash marks running down the outside of my arms, starting at the base of my neck and going down to my hands, which were gloved in black. They each had rune markings, courage and protection, in the same silver color. There were also silver slits that went down each leg, beginning at my waist and ending at my boots, that of course were black. On each boot were more rune markings, speed and stealth.   
  
  
What was so special about this, you may be wondering. In making this, in sewing it, I placed small spells upon it, the spells of the afore mentioned runes. There were also slits of silver upon my mask, two starting below my eyes and going sideways until reaching my jawline. I looked at myself in the mirror. I the night upon which shafts of moonlight shone down on. I was my namesake in one of it's truest forms.  
  
  
I was the last to come downstairs. As I did, everyone looked at me and stopped. Either they were dumbfounded, or perhaps confused. I smiled lightly, but they could not see it. I looked at them with my eyes that could only be called silver.   
  
  
"Jeriko." The Professor said, either amused or slightly mad.  
  
  
"Call me NightShade." I told him. His eyes grew a little wider. NightShade was extremely deadly, and both feared and highly regarded in the Wiccan world, at least from I was from.   
  
  
"Very well, NightShade." He said. He started to speak again, but I interrupted him.  
  
  
"I not fight with you. I cannot. I stop him."  
  
  
"Him? Do you mean Kiro guy?" Rogue asked.  
  
  
"Yes. Sunfire be his name." How I knew that, I had no idea.  
  
  
"How do you know that?" The question I had hoped that would not be asked, was indeed asked by Jean.  
  
  
"All in time. I go now. Come back later perhaps." Before another word could be said I shimmered out of there and to the Brotherhood house. I knocked on the front door. It was opened by Tabitha.  
  
  
"Who are you?" She asked. Lance appeared beside her.   
  
  
"It be me. Jeriko." I told him. "Now called NightShade."  
  
  
"What's with the get-up? What's going on?" He asked, as he ushered me inside. I told him to gather everyone together. When they were, I told them everything.  
  
  
"Will ye help?" I asked them.  
  
  
"Are ya kiddin' me?" Pietro said, he disappeared and reappeared in what I assumed was his battle outfit. "I'm already ready."  
  
  
"And all of ye?" I asked. They piled upstairs and were back down in five minutes. I was curious about Lance's outfit, but I said nothing. "Ye go to mansion."  
  
  
"Woah, hold on there, yo. Where are you goin'?" Todd asked.  
  
  
"To fight him. Sunfire. My brother." I shimmered away, once again.  
  
  
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I stood upon the highest place in Bayville, a cliff overlooking the town. I cast out my senses, and picked up Kiro immediately. He no longer hid from me. I could sense him, and he could sense me. I let him perceive me, but did not let him find out just who I was. That would be for later, at our confrontation. I sent him a witch message*.  
  
  
/I'm coming for you Kiro Etu Rowen, Grian, Sunfire. I'm coming./  
  
  
  
A/N2: Okay, sorry it's short. *A witch message is kinda like telepathy, only it's not as receptive. So.... whatcha think about "Sunfire" and "NightShade"? Not the greatest, I know, but I could think of on short notice. 


	9. Confrontation

A/N: Uh.... none as of now. Check @ the end. Oh, I did change his name. Thanx for the suggestion. It's Nightshade now instead of NightShade. Sorry, no suggestions from me tho', for Toby.   
  
  
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I stood atop the cliff all that day, meditating and perceiving Kiro. I cast out my senses to the mansion, and I could feel the tension. It was mostly from the X-Men, not the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood appeared to be excited about getting their revenge. I silently wondered just how vengeful they were.  
  
  
While I was distracted by my thoughts at the mansion, Kiro moved. I tried to pinpoint where, but could not. He was gone, at least for the moment. I checked for Magneto, and could not find him either. But I did sense Mystique, and she was where she had been. Then, my senses went on full alert. I had been kneeling on the edge of the cliff, but now I stood up and turned around in one flurry of a movement. There he was.  
  
  
*Nice to see you Jeriko* He said. His voice had the Irish lilt, but none of the musical tone. His voice was cold, lifeless.  
  
  
*I wish I could say the same, Kiro.* His expression was blanketed, but his eyes betrayed him. He was doing all he could to hold back his anger.  
  
  
*You know what we are, don't you? Of course you do. We're Wiccans. Mutants. But most of all, we are brothers.* He said it as if it was a thing to be despised. *Twins, and although we're mirror images, we're also exact opposites. Which, in the cruel sense of irony, makes us more alike than we'll ever know.*  
  
  
*I am not like you.* I told him.   
  
  
*Is that so? Take a hard look, my brother. Then again, perhaps you are right. You were the one that was taken it, cared for, and most of all loved. I was the one they casted away, ignored. Thrown into foster care. Maybe, though, it was for the better. Here I am, one the winning side, and you on the losing. Maybe it was meant to be so.* I felt waves of rage coming forth from him. His eyes were almost on fire, a deep blue sapphire that would entrance anyone.   
  
  
*Mother and Father would never cast you away! Not for those reasons. There has to be a true, honest one. One you cannot give.* I told him. His eyes flared, but he did not attack.  
  
  
"Mother and Father are dead. Gone. They abandoned his in the worst way possible, because now they can never pay for their deeds! They are beyond all reach now.* His voice now had life, but a deadly sort of life.  
  
  
*Who told you these lies? Magneto? He is liar and deceiver. I met some former comrades of his, who he abandoned! But he is not beyond their reach now, and he will pay for what he did. Then you can see what he really is.* I told him.   
  
  
*I believe you are mistaken. Those comrades you speak of fell short of the goal he set for them. They were useless.* His eyes glazed for a minute, and I was tempted to attack. But held myself back. His eyes cleared, and I saw a dangerous grin on his face. A triumphant one. *And apparently, still are. They lost. They are now prisoners of their own device. Forgive me for leaving you so soon after our... heartwrenching reunion, but I have business to attend to!* He disappeared in a flash of bright lights. I knew it was called orbing.  
  
  
How can they be prisoners? The battle hasn't happened yet! I turned to look back off the cliff, and I was stunned to see that it was deep into the night. Kiro! He had put a time spell on us! I cursed the Wiccan sense of irrelevant time. I shimmered as fast as I could to the mansion.  
  
  
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There had been a battle. The earth, the trees, everything was scarred with some sort of power. In one tree I found several spikes, and on another burn marks no doubt made by Scott's optic lasers. It was here, among the smoke and darkness that I found someone collapsed against a tree. It had to be one of Magneto's warriors, for I did not recognize him. I checked his pulse, and it was there, beating steadily.  
  
  
I gathered him up and took him to the infirmary. There I patched him up and recited a spell to help relieve the pain. He was still unconscious, but alive. I went back out into the darkness, and found two more. As I did with the first, I brought them in and fixed them up. As I was finishing the third, who was also unconscious, a felt a familiar presence. I looked up to see Mystique in the doorway. She, too, was cut up, but not badly.  
  
  
"I tried to help. I tried.... But he was too strong." She walked in and collapsed into a chair.   
  
  
"I know ye did. I should been there. Kiro used time spell. I lost time." I told her. She nodded.  
  
  
"I had heard him mentioning time spells, but he often spoke in Gaelic, of which I barely understand." She rubbed her forehead, obviously having a headache. I got some Tylenol and a glass of water and gave it to her. She was very thankful.  
  
  
"Who be they?" I gestured to the three unconscious people laying on the infirmary's beds. There were all male, looking slightly older than Scott and/or Lance. I placed them in their early 20s.  
  
  
"Nameless warriors. Magneto stole them when they were but children. He used his mutant enhancer to bring out their powers very early. He has trained them ever since." She said, the effects of the Tylenol taking hold.  
  
  
"They why he have Brotherhood?" I asked. She shrugged.  
  
  
"Who knows? Magneto does many, many eccentric things. He's not right in head, even for a psycho-path." She said. I lapsed into thought, and nothing was said for a very long time.  
  
  
"We free them, ye know." I told her. She looked truly surprised.  
  
  
"How? He's taken them to God knows where and even if we did know, how would we get there? I seriously doubt you know how to fly the jet. Lord knows I don't know how." I wasn't used to these Christian terms, but I understood the meaning. She was right, I didn't know. The only people who did were prisoners.... all except.....  
  
  
"Logan!" I shouted, making Mystique jump.  
  
  
"Wolverine? Wasn't he in the battle?" She asked.  
  
  
"No, he left in the morning!" I told her. "But I no know how to get him."   
  
  
"Wait, you're a Wiccan too, like Kiro?" Mystique asked. I nodded. "He would use some sort of telepathy to report Magneto, a Wiccan telepathy or something....."  
  
  
"Witch message." I told her. "That be hard. Magneto, use mind well. Logan, he not... uh...." I searched for the word. I found it. "Receptive."  
  
  
"True." Mystique said with a sigh.  
  
  
"I try." I said, shrugging.   
  
  
I closed my eyes, and cast out my senses to find Logan. They weren't very good a large distances, those over a 100 miles. There was nothing. I searched again, and again. Finally, I felt him at the very limit of my senses.   
  
  
/Logan! Come to mansion! Need you! Help!/ I cried out to him. I repeated it over and over, until finally his presence was out of my reach.  
  
  
"I find him, send message, not know if he got it." I told her.   
  
  
"You tried, that is what matters." She said. True, I tried. But would it be enough? 


	10. Conundrums

  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry it took so long. Don't hurt me! ::hides::  
  
  
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Mystique suggested that I either tie the warriors down or lock them up. The mansion  
contained a few jail cell units in the basement, so I shimmered them down there. They  
were still unconscious. I asked Mystique why I should lock them up like that. She told me  
that they would still be loyal to Magneto, having been trained to be loyal since they could  
remember. He was their God in all sense of the word.  
  
  
I left her to stand guard, while I went to the roof. I let the darkness blanket me. I prayed to  
the God and Goddess that Logan received my message. But even if he did, he would not  
make it in time. I had to free the others as soon as I possible could, or who knows what  
would happen to them. From what I have heard of Magneto, and with my brother, I feared  
the worst. That is why I vanished into the night. I let myself become one of the shadows. I  
only hoped that I could find them, before it was too late.  
  
  
---------------------------------  
  
  
(third person POV)  
  
  
Scott awoke, his mind groggy, and at first he had no idea what had happened. Then the  
memories flooded back, so fast that it made his head hurt even more. He tried to sit up,  
and found it painful. But he somehow managed it. It was then that he noticed Lance  
sitting in the corner, staring off into space.   
  
  
"Did everyone make it?" He asked him. Lance made no response. "Alvers?"  
  
  
"Everyone's alive, but for how long I don't know." Lance finally answered, looking up at  
him.  
  
  
"I can't believe we lost." Scott said, more to himself than to his rival/ally.  
  
  
"Yeah, it's amazing what get you can get used to." Lance growled.  
  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Scott growled back.  
  
  
"What do ya think it means, Shades?" Lance said Scott's nickname like it was the most  
disgusting thing in the world.  
  
  
"Well, if would have been smart and joined the X-Men! Oh, that's right, I forgot, ya have  
to have a brain to have intelligence!"  
  
  
"My, my! Comrades fighting? Tsk tsk tsk...." A new voice said. They looked up through  
the bars of their cell to a face that at first looked like Jeriko. But no, it wasn't. It had to be  
Kiro, with golden blonde hair and deep sapphire eyes, standing before them.  
  
  
"Where is Jeriko?!" Lance demanded.  
  
  
"Hmmm... to quote your Christian Bible, _'I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?'_ " Kiro  
grinned and laughed lightly to himself. "But my brother should be the least of your  
worries. I cannot wait until Magneto finished his preparations. He has big plans for the  
likes of all of you."  
  
  
"How can it be that someone like Jeriko has the Devil for his brother?" Scott spat out.  
  
  
"I know very little of your Devil. He sounds.... interesting. Perhaps one of these days I  
shall have the honor of meeting him. Until then, I will have to settle for.... what is it they  
say? Oh yes, the Devil's advocate." He pretended to glance at his watch. "Oh my, look at  
the TIME! I have spent my spell here. I must bid you farewell!"  
  
  
As he disappeared in a hail of lights, Lance was thinking to himself.... ~What a strange  
way to say goodbye. Must be a Gaelic thing.~  
  
  
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I slipped through the shadows, seeing everything and yet nothing. I searched and I  
searched with my senses, for any sign of where Magneto might be. He wouldn't be at  
where he had been, for that was too obvious. Or was it? I had a feeling that he counted  
upon whoever was left to be blind to the obvious. Or he thought that there was no one  
left. Which was true. Mystique was in no shape to fight, and I couldn't count on the  
warriors. I don't know if Logan received my message, so I couldn't depend on him either.  
I was truly alone.  
  
  
But I was used to alone. And it was here in the night that soared. The night was the  
kingdom, and I was the king. I ruled the darkness. So I fled among shadows to the town  
where Mystique's signature had shown up. She swore she was with Magneto, so he  
would've been there as well. I just prayed that I guessed right.  
  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
  
I was in luck. When I reached the town, I noticed a small abandoned castle. It was no  
more than a mansion shaped as a castle, and those were fairly common among New  
England from what I had read on castles back home in Ireland.  
  
  
As I hid among the shadows, I searched for guards or warriors. I found none on the  
outside, and slowly made my way through the shadows deep inside. I kept my senses alert  
for anything. I picked up nothing on the first, second, or third floors. But I did feel  
something, that seemed to be coming from below the floor. I slipped around as silently as  
a owl waiting to fly in for the kill. I finally found a staircase that led down.  
  
  
Down, down, down I went. Finally, the stairs stopped. It was completely dark. I walked  
out into the middle of the darkness. A major mistake. I felt a stab of something into my  
back. Witch fire, no doubt. The last face I saw was Kiro, before I blacked out completely.  
  
  
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Lance and Scott were still the only ones awake when a few of Magneto's warriors threw a  
unconscious Jeriko in. Jeriko stirred, but didn't awake until a few minutes later. When he  
did he jumped up and tried to shimmer out of the bars, but found that he could not. (Like  
Kurt in Middleverse.) They heard him curse in Gaelic.  
  
  
"At least we know you're alive." Scott said, sighing, trying to deal with his pain. He had  
been burned in the side, and it felt like it was still burning.   
  
  
"What good that be?" Jeriko muttered, checking the bars out. "Protected."  
  
  
"What?" Lance asked, confused.  
  
  
"The bars. They be protected by spell. Cannot get out. Powers no help." He explained.  
"How be everyone?"  
  
  
"We're alive." Scott said, giving a hidden side glance to Lance. Lance did likewise, but  
his wasn't hidden.  
  
  
"No time to fight." Jeriko said, and went back to the bars. It also made Lance remember  
what Kiro had said. (It's been a few hours since the Kiro incident.)  
  
  
"Kiro... He said something strange while he was here...." Lance said. Jeriko eyes widened  
and he nodded, encouraging Lance. "He said 'Oh my, look at the TIME! I have spent my  
spell here.' He really emphasized 'time'."  
  
  
"Oooo, big word, Alvers." Scott said.  
  
  
"Shut up Summers." Lance said. Scott started to reply, but Jeriko interrupted him.  
  
  
"Take advice!" Jeriko said. Lance laughed, and Jeriko turned to him. "Ye to, Lance!"  
  
  
  
  
  
Lance is right, that is strange. 'TIME.... spent spell here.....' I wonder. Did he leave a  
clue? If so, why? And why would there be a time spell here? I sense no spell, although it  
could be hidden. But still, why? What would be the use? But perhaps it is best that I  
try.....  
  
  
_*Hidden among the seeing  
Spell spoken here   
Bring forth your true meaning  
To this truth you must adhere....*_  
  
  
Nothing presented itself, nothing that I didn't already know. Many spells had been woven  
here, and their strength outweighed my own. Kiro had meant something by 'time' and  
'spell spent here', of that I was sure. _But what? And how much time did I have left?_


	11. Escape?

A/N: Whoa, looooong time!! SORRY!!! I was stranded from my computer (don't ask!) and couldn't type! Ack. Ugh. Ack-ugh. Ugh-ack. ANYWAYS here's the chapter. Probably last one. As of now I don't know. If it is, it's gonna be long sucker. But you don't mind do you? br  
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I was so swept up into my thoughts that I didn't hear Scott's cries of pain until they were loud enough to wake the dead it seemed. But no one else awoke, not just yet. I looked at Scott's wound on his side. He was burnt rather bad.br  
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"Lance, help!" I said.br  
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"What can I do?" He said, looking actually worried about the severity of the wound.br  
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"Repeat me. Time three." I said. He just nodded. "I need lot strength. Cannot alone. Ye help." br  
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Slowly, I began chanting, and Lance joined in, doing the best he could with the Gaelic. br  
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i*Wrap thee in cottonbr  
Bind thee with lovebr  
Protection from painbr  
Surrounds like a glovebr  
Brightest of blessingsbr  
Surround thee this nightbr  
For thou art cared forbr  
Healing thoughts sent in flight*/ibr  
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We repeated it three times. Almost immediately Scott's cries subsided. He looked at me in relief. He tried to talk, but I shushed him. He needed rest. We all did. I had to figure what Kiro meant, if anything, and figure out how to get out of here.br  
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"Lance?" A sleepy voice said. It was Todd. He was curled up in the corner. His eyes were still closed. "Lance?!" His voice was becoming more and more urgent sounding. He started thrashing around.br  
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"Breisleach!" ('nightmare!') I said. Lance went over and shook Todd until he opened his eyes. br  
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"LANCE!" He said. "You're not dead!"br  
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"No, no! It was a nightmare, that's all Todd." Todd seemed confused. br  
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"It was real, Lance! I saw you die! Magneto took you and put you into some sort of machine and it killed you! I could hear you scream....." Todd started shaking and Lance immediately took him into a bear hug. I had never seen any affection from Lance to Todd, but this was no ordinary occasion.br  
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"Todd, I know hard, but tell me all ye see." I said. Todd took a couple of deep breaths.br  
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"I... I.... I saw us being taken by the warriors..... They took us to him.... H-h-he had Lance thrown into this machine... It.... It looked like the power enhancer from Asteroid M.... I-I-I couldn't watch. I heard you scream.... Then I woke up."br  
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"It was just a nightmare. After that battle I'm not surprised." Lance said.br  
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"Lance, me talk to ye a minute?" I gestured that he leave Todd. He stood up and followed me to the other end of the cell. "That no nightmare. No breisleach. It vision. It monney!" ('premonition')br  
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"Are you sure?" He asked, sounding unsure.br  
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"Eadh! Yes! He have breisleach before?"br  
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"Well.... No, not... whatever you said." He paused. "But, now that ya mention it, he does kinda seem, well, sort of psychic, but not like Jean or the Prof. More like... uh... premonitions or something. Like, he always knows when the phone rings, and... he knew that you were coming by the house. He said 'Jeriko's coming'. But ya know, we don't usually pay him any attention."br  
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"Think ye should start." I told him. He guiltily nodded. "If vision, then we get out!"br  
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"Have you figured out what Kiro meant?" Lance asked. I lapsed into thought, and shook my head. "Now, I ain't no Wiccan and the only kind of magick I know is what a magician does, but..... a time spell would stop time, right? Would it stop the ones that surround this cell?"br  
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"Dar an ben jee!" ('By the Goddess!') I said, and I set my mind in motion. He was right! If time was stopped, the spells would not have effect, for to attack they would need time to move from one place to another! It was a complicated mess, but I knew it to be true!br  
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"I'm hopin' that's a good thing." Lance said. I gave him an incredulous look.br  
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"Dat's a damn good thing, yo!" I said. He shook his head.br  
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"You have been around Todd waaaay too long."br  
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First thing we did was wake everyone up, and if they were in pain, repeated the spell that we placed on Scott. Finally, everyone was ready. They were completely silent as I focused all my magick on the spell. Quietly I began to chant:br  
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i*Time is the essencebr  
Time cannot breakbr  
Let thy time bendbr  
For my sakebr  
Stop thy timebr  
Let it flow notbr  
Pause while I speak thy rhymebr  
And let thy rules be forgot!*/i (I suck @ writing spells, don't I?)br  
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"GO! NOW!" I shouted, not letting my concentration waver. A minute later I heard someone say they were all out. I shimmered myself out, then stopped my concentration. br  
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i*Let thy timebr  
Flow once morebr  
Thy rules back in linebr  
Close thy door!*/ibr  
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I fell to my knees, weak from the concentration. Time spells were very powerful, I will admit I am surprised I was able to do it at all. Kiro had been trained well beyond my level. How did he know that I could do it? And why did he help me? He is the enemy, isn't he? All these thoughts made my head dizzy. I let myself fall over and lean against the wall for support. I glanced up to see everyone looking at me, worried.br  
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"I fine. Ye go now. Leave. Get out!" I said, trying to sound forceful, but my voice came out a loud whisper.br  
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"No, we're not leavin' ya, Jeriko." Evan said. Dried blood was streaked on his face. He had been slashed on the side of his head. He would be scarred for life.br  
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"Go! Find Mystique. Find Logan. I fine! GO!" I used all of my energy to pull myself up. When they didn't budge, I shot witch fire above them. That got them going. They began running down the hall. Lance stopped halfway and looked back.br  
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"Give 'em hell, Nightshade." He said, before continuing after the others. I am not called Nightshade for nothing. Hasn't he heard of deadly nightshade? br  
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I pushed the arrogance out of my mind. I started to cast out my senses, but thought better of it. Kiro would sense me, and I still wasn't sure what side he was on. Good, bad, or was he playing two parts against the middle? I started stumbling down the opposite end of the hall, thanking the God and Goddess for the stealth rune/spell I put on this outfit. I followed the passage to it's end, and arrived only seconds before some of Magneto's warriors. I ducted as quickly as I could behind some sort of equipment. br  
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"Master is ready. Retrieve the prisoners and bring them to the laboratory." A voice said, I heard clicking noise, the sound of two other warriors clicking the heels of their boots together (do ya get it? Magneto was in WWII and the Gestapo [Hitler's secret police] did that.) and going down the passage I had just come from. Following my instinct and a wild hunch, I followed the one who spoke, hoping he would lead me to the laboratory. br  
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I followed as closely as I dared, slipping through the shadows that plagued the area. He never glanced back, never gave any indication he saw or heard me, still I was on full alert, or as much as I could be, considering I was still weak from the time spell. Finally, I saw the warrior, a boy no older than the ones at the mansion, reach a wall. He pushed a button to the side and hidden doors opened. No sirens had gone off yet. I wonder the other two warriors had discovered our disappearance.br  
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~Why are you still here?!~ I heard Kiro's voice in my head. I turned around, and came face to face with him. (They're talkin' in Gaelic too as they do this.)br  
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~To find you, my brother~ I told him. We could communicate psychically? Many a new development lately. ~Why did you leave that clue?~br  
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~To get you out of here and away from Magneto!~br  
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~Last time we met you were about ready to kill me!~ I reminded him.br  
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~Things have changed. At first Magneto was just going to capture you and force you to join him. He said I would be the Captain of the regiment, and I foolishly believed him and helped him. I thought I had the upper hand, and revenge was on the top of my list. But after the battle Magneto revealed his true intentions. He is going to do something to you that scared the hell out of the darkest witch!~br  
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~And what is that?~ I said. He gulped, and hesitated.br  
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~He's got this machine. You go in it normal, and you come out utterly destroyed, but alive. It's like you're dead and alive at the same time. He controls your every move, your every thought, your every feeling! You're still in there in your mind completely aware of it but you can't do anything about it. You can't fight. It's the ultimate prison.~br  
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~Did he tell you this?~br  
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~No. He didn't have to. I saw it being done.~ I looked into his eyes, the gateway to his soul. Only.... there was no soul. His eyes were empty, barren. I had an idea why, but I did not let the thought form in my mind yet. I would go along with him. I had too.br  
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~Alright. Tell me what to do.~br  
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A/N: Well, guess not last chapter. Next to last. Goody. Ugh, I'll try to hurry up and finish this. TRY, mind you. I know how ya feel, I hate waitin' myself, but plz try to cut me some slack okay? Go ahead and flame if ya want, but that ticks me off, and I'll refuse to write. Soooooo it's in your best interest to wait. (Pwetty pwease?)br 


	12. In The End

A/N: I know, I know. It's been forever. But I haven't had any time to type! Been too busy with school and life. Ya'll probably know what I mean, tho' some of ya can replace school with work. Same difference right? Well this is gonna be the last chapter, and I predict it's gonna be a long sucker. Oh, sorry 'bout the br thing. My html editor wasn't workin' right. But I didn't get no flames for it (that I know of) so I'll leave it the way it is.  
  
  
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Kiro explained to me a plan that appeared it would work in theory. But there was one major IF. What side was Kiro on? What if this was a trick? A trap? These thoughts were dispelled when an alarm sounded. Kiro's eyes widened, and we shared the same thought. They've got the others. Kiro began running, and I followed along in the shadows.   
  
  
~Stay there in the shadows, brother! Don't let anyone see you!~ Kiro ordered. I had no intention of that happening.   
  
  
I followed him down many corridors, and finally we arrived in a laboratory. I hadn't found the lab earlier; it must have been something else that the warrior entered. But worries about such things I didn't have time for. I saw in the lab many cylinders of glass, and in each one was a member of the X-Men or the Brotherhood. And there, across the room, I saw the machine that Todd had described. He had had a vision. A deadly one. But I wasn't going to let Magneto destroy them.   
  
  
~What should I do Kiro?~ Kiro turned around, and saw his soulless eyes drill into mine. What I had thought was true. Kiro was a slave.  
  
  
*My name is Sunfire. And you shall surrender to his Master, Magneto.* Kiro spoke aloud in Gaelic. His voice was listless and dead. Before I could move, shadow slaves came out of no where and grabbed me. I tried to fight, but I was still weak from the time spell. I was thrown into one of the glass cells.   
  
  
I was trapped.  
  
  
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"We've tripped an alarm!" Mystique said, her voice frightened.  
  
  
"I can hear that!" Wolverine growled back. Jeriko had been right-- he should have stayed. ~It's no use arguing with myself. What's done is done. It's up to me and Mystique to save 'em.~ "C'mon, I got Jeriko's scent! Let's move!"  
  
  
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I weakly tried to shimmer out of the cell, but could not. It was protected, but not by magick. By some sort of technology I had never seen before. Kiro stood in the middle of the room, a helpless slave. Of all times, it was then I noticed that he had the same outfit on, only it was a deep gold with blue markings. We were more than brothers, more than twins even. We were the day and the night, the light and the dark, the sun and the moon. We were the balance of everything in the universe. And we had been defeated.  
  
  
The others were awake, but also weak. I did not see the Professor. He hadn't been in the cell with the others, nor had he been at the mansion. I was worried. Magneto had fallen deep into the abyss of madness; how far he would go to exact his revenge I did not know. And that was what scared me the most.  
  
  
"Very good, Sunfire. You have been most useful to me. But your service is no longer needed." Magneto stepped out of the darkness, in full glory. He nodded to two warrior guards, the same ones who had grabbed me, and they steered Kiro to the machine. He had no control. He was killing himself.  
  
  
*No! Kiro!* I shouted. *You are stronger than this! Fight!* He paused for a moment, but then continued on. *Kiro!*  
  
  
Words started to flow from my mouth, foreign words. They were not Gaelic, nor English. I began chanting them over and over, my voice getting louder and stronger. My body was feeling weaker, though. But I did not stop. I kept chanting, my only thought to save Kiro and the others.  
  
  
"What is this? A foolish attempt to save your brother?" Magneto mocked. I blocked him out. I heard a crumbling noise, and Wolverine appeared out of the fallen wall. Mystique came after him. I faltered, but only for a second. "Get the others!" I shouted before resuming my chant.   
  
  
They didn't need to be told twice. Wolverine started knocking out the warrior guards that were flooding the area. Mystique ran over to a control panel and started pushing buttons. Nothing happened. Finally she just slammed her fists into it, causing it to spark and fry it circuits. The glass cylinders rose, and the others weakly stumbled out. I saw Kiro, still heading for the machine. Mystique was now fighting alongside Wolverine, and was oblivious to him. It was up to me.   
  
  
My chant continued as I focused all my energy and power on Kiro. ~Fight, my brother! Fight!~ I commanded, never wavering. He stopped, and could see him fighting. He fell to his knees, his hands holding his head, trying to gain control over his mind. I ran over to him and grabbed his hands. He opened his eyes, and I could see his soul fighting. I kept chanting and slowly, among the battle being fought around us, he did too. The warriors were every wear, and we were losing. The others were trying to fight, but were to weak. Wolverine's body couldn't keep up with all his wounds. Mystique was bleeding from a dozen different places. And we kept chanting.  
  
  
Then, something happened. It was as if Kiro and I were one. We knew the other's thoughts, feelings, and memories. It took me a minute to realize we were floating high in the air, above everyone. Then I felt a burden being lifted. Kiro was free. I was free. We floated there, facing each other. Then we began speaking together, like we knew what the other was saying before they said it.  
  
  
*They are in trouble.* Kiro said.  
  
  
*We must help them.* I responded, leaving no pause between his words and my own. We raised our hands, almost touching each other. Together we concentrated, and a light began to shine. A light of white and black, of brightness and darkness. We floated apart and the light grew bigger and bigger, until it covered everything. It was as dark as night and bright as day at the same time. Brighter and darker it grew, until even we had to shut our eyes. Then it was gone.  
  
  
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The others were bathed in the light. There wounds were healed, their uniforms repaired, their strength returned. When the light vanished, all the warriors were gone. Just the others remained, standing there, confused. Kiro and I floated down, and landed on the floor in front of them.  
  
  
"You shall find your Professor in the basement. He is unharmed." Kiro said.  
  
  
"We have business to attend to." Since my mind was bonded with Kiro's, I could speak English clearly as he did. Silently we floated up to the ceiling, and the roof opened, letting us fly up into the sky. Magneto had ran. And we were going to find him.  
  
  
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"Um, is anybody else confused, or is just me as usual?" Fred asked. The others looked at each other. "Must just be me."  
  
  
"For once Fred, it's not just you." Pietro said. "Can somebody explain what happened?"  
  
  
"Don't ya'll be a-lookin' at me." Logan said. "I ain't got no answers. Why don't ya ask Mys--" He started to say. But Mystique was gone. Vanished. "Now where did she get to?"  
  
  
"Wer knows?" ('Who') Kurt said. He shrugged. "But vhat did happen?"  
  
  
"Like, how about we, like, go get the Professor and maybe he can tell us." Kitty suggested. Logan just shrugged and headed back out the hole in the wall. The others followed.  
  
  
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Magneto had holed himself up into a dark, barren room deep into the mountain. Using my power, I hid myself and Kiro in the shadows of the room. We whispered small spells, most harmless, but he did not know it. Paranoia and fear had set in. He was losing what sanity he had left.  
  
  
"No, no! Leave me alone!" He shouted. We attacked out of the darkness. His screams echoed throughout the mountain.  
  
  
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"Any idea, Charles?" Logan asked. They had found him in the basement, like Kiro said. Storm had also been locked down there; Magneto had been torturing her in a small confined room. She was barely brought back by the Professor.  
  
  
"I am afraid not. What you have just described to me I have never heard of before. It is something well beyond my knowledge." The others sighed. The Brotherhood were there as well, admittedly to scared to go home. The warriors that had been locked up were also gone. It was as if they had never been there. "I doubt we will ever know the answers to the questions that plague us."  
  
  
"Do not be so sure, Professor." Jeriko appeared before them in the hall, as well as Kiro beside him.  
  
  
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We shimmered/orbed to the mansion. The others deserved to know the answers. We were prepared to answer them, leaving no details out. They would keep our secret of just who we were. I trusted them. And if I did, Kiro did as well.   
  
  
"Jeriko! What happened? Where have you been?" Evan asked.  
  
  
"I have been attending to business." I said.   
  
  
"Wha business?" Asked Rogue.  
  
  
"It is safe to say that you shall never worry about Magneto again." Kiro said. I saw a shadow pass over Pietro's face. Psycho or not, Magneto still had been his father. I walked over to him and handed him a locket. I found it around Magneto's neck. "I saved this for you."  
  
  
"What is it, yo?" Todd asked. Pietro opened it and stood shocked. He started crying. Everyone was thrown by it. "Quix, man, what is it?"  
  
  
"It's pictures of me and..... and..... a girl." He said. "A girl I remember...."  
  
  
"She is your sister." Kiro said. "She is living in your homeland." (A/N: I forget where Pietro and Wanda are from.)  
  
  
"Wanda...." He whispered.  
  
  
"Whoa, back it up!" Scott said. "Homeland? Sister? How do you know? Forgive the French but what in the blue hell is going on?!" This startled everyone. Lance looked about ready to make a smart remark, but we cut him off.  
  
  
"We are the Sun and the Moon, the Darkness and the Light; we are what we are, not gods nor humans. We are here and there, we are in full essence everywhere. We are the protectors of life and death, good and evil."  
  
  
"Okaaay....." Jean said.   
  
  
"There is always two protectors, twins, powerful from birth. We are not immortal, for we do die; but the moment we die we are reborn somewhere in the world. Not a second goes by that there is no protection given."  
  
  
"Hea-vy." Lance said. The others agreed.  
  
  
"We trust you to keep this to yourselves. And our faith will have to hold true; we shall not be here to stop you."  
  
  
"You are not staying?" Storm, still shaken from her experiences in the basement, asked.  
  
  
"There is much to protect." We said. "But before we go, there is one last thing." We faced each other, and let the ancient words come to us. Thrice spoken and thrice told the spell of protection as old as time itself was. "We must go now, but we will never forget you. Goodbye, protectors."  
  
  
Together we faded from their view, and flew up among the stars. There we would weave our spells of protection, of light and dark, of life and death.  
  
  
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"Do you feel that?" Kitty asked the others. Everyone nodded. It felt like new life had been breathed into all of them, and that the burden of Magneto had been disintegrated. They could actually enjoy life, free. They were free.  
  
  
"Pietro, if you want any help in locating your sister, you know where to find us." Pietro still had tears in his eyes, and found he could not speak. He just nodded. The Professor addressed the rest of the Brotherhood. "If you want, you may stay for a while and rest before you go home."  
  
  
"Oh yeah." Tabby said, who had been strangely silent during the whole excursion. She went into the living room and collapsed on the couch, falling asleep immediately. The rest of the Brotherhood scattered themselves among the living room, and Todd even curled up on the floor, perfectly content with where he was.  
  
  
"Ya know there's bedrooms." Logan growled in vain. They were all fast asleep.  
  
  
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A/N: Finished! Yes! ::jumps around crying for joy:: Whew, that took forever. The reason Tabby was silent was because I forgot all about her! Which I know ya'll don't mind. ::laughs evilly:: Die Tabby, Die! Hmm.... I think I better go now before I start acting like Magneto.   
  
  
A/N2: Sorry, but no sequels. I'm worn out. If ya'll want to write a sequel using Jeriko and Kiro, go ahead, but plz no abuse. And as for my fic "Obsession", I might not update for a while. But trust me, I shall do so eventually. But no death threats, do ya hear?! 


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